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Microsoft builds a 'MySpace for financial pros'

Microsoft launched at its Convergence conference in San Diego this week a new online community site for financial professionals. The site, which has yet to get a formal name, is currently known as the Dynamics Live Beta Community. Microsoft officials are describing it as a "MySpace for financial pros."
Written by Mary Jo Foley, Senior Contributing Editor

If you build it, will them come? Microsoft may soon find out.

The company launched at its Convergence conference in San Diego this week a new online community site for financial professionals. The site, which has yet to get a formal name, is currently known as the Dynamics Live Beta Community. Microsoft officials are describing it as a "MySpace for financial pros."

The site is aimed at corporate controllers, finance managers, finance staff and accountants. With blogs, forums, tagging, RSS syndication and other community-specific features, the site is designed to encourage these pros -- whether or not they are using Microsoft's Dynamics applications -- to interact with each other and share best practices.

I'll be interested to see whether this site gains much traction. Corporate controllers and accountants don't strike me as folks who have a lot of time or interest to blog, chat and share photos and play lists.

All kidding aside, I do wonder about Microsoft -- or any software vendor -- builing community sites for these kinds of folks with the expectation that they'll gravitate to them. Microsoft officials say there are other Microsoft-driven community sites coming for other segments of the business-app-consuming public. What's next? MySpace for manufacturing pros or distribution specialists? Don't laugh: It sounds like they could be in the works.

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